Eating a vegetarian diet is becoming more popular among human beings, even if it’s just adding a “Meat-Free Monday” to your weekly dinner rotation. Whether it’s for your own health, the health of the planet or for the health of animals — or part of your Lenten fast — the idea that meatless dishes are boring is being tossed out the window at the same time as major fast food chains are adding vegetarian substitutions to their menus. Being a vegetarian doesn’t have to be limiting and these Greater Cincinnati restaurants are proving the point. Are these the city’s only vegetarian options? No. Obviously not. Are they a great alternative when your friends/family are sick of you trying to make them eat Indian for the second time in a week and you cannot handle another slice of pizza, bowl of pasta topped with some kind of weird vegetable medley and cream sauce or a baked potato and salad combo? Yes. All of these eateries offer something beyond a carb-and-cheese dish for vegetarians. While some are more health-focused “rabbit food”-type destinations and some have vegan goetta, each has a menu to appeal to those who forgo dining on flesh… and their omnivore friends.
ESSEN 1 Findlay St., Over-the-Rhine ESSEN is no ordinary take-away. Sure, the kitchen serves up soups, salads and sandwiches like any other respectable establishment. But there aren’t any chicken Caesars or ham and Swiss sammies to be found here. In fact, ESSEN doesn’t stock any meat, dairy or eggs at all: The entire menu is plant-based. Chef Yasel López, a graduate of the University of Havana with a degree in food science and a résumé that lists stints in restaurants from Cuba to Lexington, got creative and crafted a menu to appeal to not only vegans but also vegetarians and omnivores alike. The eatery’s “Bagel & Lox” was selected as one of PETA’s Top Faux-Fish Dishes of 2021, which is a list of flavorful plant-based dishes across America. Photo: facebook.com/essenkitchen Photo: facebook.com/essenkitchen
Good Plates Eatery 235 W. McMillan St., Clifton Good Plates focuses on simple foods and bold flavors, offering a variety of sandwiches and bowls (of the quinoa and salad variety). Each item has a little twist that takes it from standard to satisfying, often found in the sauce. Several menu stand-outs include the meatball sub, made with chorizo and beef, complemented by a sweet red sauce (there’s also a vegetarian version); as well as the sweet potato and black bean quinoa. All bowls and salads come vegetarian, but patrons have the option to add meat. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Unwind Wine Bar 3435 Michigan Ave., Hyde Park This expansive indoor and outdoor space around the corner from Hyde Park Square has fused an upscale-casual ambiance with a wide selection of New World and Old World wines and small plates that complement the drinks. All of the food is either vegetarian or vegan (the owners are vegan). With choices such as crostini, flatbread, warm olives, cheeses and a hummus sampler, along with a few desserts, there’s enough for a light meal — or at least some satisfying bites to accompany your wine. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The Whole Bowl 364 Ludlow Ave., Clifton This is the perfect spot for people who don’t like to make decisions, since Whole Bowl offers one menu item. While there is an easy vegan alternative, Whole Bowl’s titular dish is comprised of brown rice, beans, black olives, cheddar, avocado slices, salsa, sour cream and a lemon-garlic sauce. The only real choice a diner needs to make is whether or not they want a small or large portion. Photo: Facebook.com/TheWholeBowlCincinnati
Northside Yacht Club 4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside A loosely nautically themed and ironically landlocked Rock club from two local music and mixology veterans, the Northside Yacht Club is all fun. Lay down a base layer with a bar-food menu that features veggie-conscious eats like their popular cauliflower wings, tofu tendies, vegetarian or vegan mac and cheese, fried broccoli or the creature fries. The cocktails — served by tattooed bartenders in the vein of Sailor Jerry — are masterful, made with fresh juice, fruit and herbal garnish. The tropically themed and navy-inspired drinks are deceivingly potent. Photo: Kellie Coleman
Rollin’ Bowls Find upcoming truck locations online Rollin’ Bowls is a plant-based food truck with Monica Meier in the driver’s seat. Meier made the switch to living a fully plant-based lifestyle several years ago and says it dramatically impacted her health and energy. The most popular menu item is the Dynamite Bowl — a crunchy and colorful blend of veggies with teriyaki-marinated soy tenders over a bed of fluffy long-grain rice. It’s finished off with a thick drizzle of vegan yum yum sauce made from scratch. Beyond the bowls, Meier serves quesadillas and tacos, soups and sandwiches, including plant-based burgers. Photo: Paige Deglow
Condado Tacos 195 E. Freedom Way, Downtown; 3329 Vandercar Way, Oakley; 5070 Deerfield Blvd., Mason Condado commits to the build-your-own tacos concept down to the type of tortillas. For protein, customers have several options — even multiple ones for vegetarians! — like Thai chili tofu, BBQ pulled jackfruit, black beans and roasted portabello. They’ve got the toppings, too; cilantro and onions, jicama and cabbage slaws, queso fresco and more. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Goose & Elder 1800 Race St., Over-the-Rhine Chef Jose Salazar’s Goose & Elder is a sort of comfort food destination with self-described “Midcentury grandma” décor. Though it feels more casual or at least more affordable than Salazar’s other eateries, Goose & Elder’s menu is just as creative, boasting fun takes on easy eats. The baked mac and cheese is infused with pickled jalapeno; the housemade falafel veggie burger comes topped with halloumi; and the “Big Salad” is more interesting than your average lettuce mix with seasonal vegetables, hard-boiled eggs and green olives. Goose & Elder also offers avocado toast and a grain bowl, in addition to retro cocktails and a brunch menu. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Hailey Bollinger
Bridges Nepali Cuisine 4165 Hamilton Ave., Northside; 133 E. Court St., Downtown (until mid-May); 11 W. Seventh St., Covington (opening in April); 6304 Vine St., Elmwood Place; 2459 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills (opening in July) The restaurant name — Bridges — encourages diners to use food as a means of connecting to new cultures. Owner Ashak Chipalu creates Nepalese food using his mother’s recipes. The dishes are rich with spices — like ginger, garlic, cumin, chili pepper and cilantro — that elevate the simple ingredients like potato, lentils and cauliflower. In addition to its bowls and curries, it’s known for its unique and wide-ranging samosa selection, as well as momos, aka Nepalese dumplings. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The Kitchen Factory 1609 Chase Ave. Northside The Kitchen Factory specializes in vegan pizza and offers a variety of housemade sauces, dough, sandwiches soups and salads (plus some meat for those who want it). In addition to menu options like the Dig the Fig pizza, there are myriad sandwiches including a veggie meatball hoagie, veggie burger, barbecue tofu sandwich, vegan nachos and their famous vegan baked mac and cheese. Photo: Emerson Swoger
Rooted Juicery + Kitchen 3010 Madison Road, Oakley From coolers housing a rainbow display of juices to vegan meal bowls to a mini bakery, Rooted is out to prove that plant-based eating offers a vast variety of flavors and quality options. The Mexican grain bowl (quinoa, black beans, guacamole, walnut crumble, cashew cheese) is a favorite in the bowl category. Everything is as locally sourced as possible and the downtown location features a full coffee and matcha bar. Photo: Rooted Juicery + Kitchen
Ruth’s Parkside Cafe 1550 Blue Rock St., Northside Located in a factory bay at the American Can Building, Ruth’s offers diners a mix of comforting, well-known classics from the owners’ former restaurant Mullane’s, such as the spinach sauté and red beans and rice, as well as new dishes. Everything is from scratch, and you can add a slab of tofu or tempeh to just about any dish. If you don’t order an appetizer of Sixteen Bricks bread and their specialty cult-favorite curry yogurt dressing, you’re doing it wrong. Photo: Jesse Fox
Harmony Plant Fare Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine This New York City-inspired vegan deli offers a variety of cold cuts, salads, dips, housemade seitan and vegan cheese (that melts!), plus sandwiches and vegan pantry essentials. The addictive Italian sandwich (pictured) is full of housemade seitan ham and pepperoni. Photo: Sami Nowlin
Abigail Street 1214 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine With a Mediterranean lean and wines on tap, Abigail Street is the tapas bar to satisfy all members of your dining party. The fresh and seasonally rotating menu features small plates for vegetarians and omnivores alike, including crispy falafel, housemade ricotta and honey and a family-recipe fattoush. The menu is about evenly divided between meat/fish dishes and veggie-friendly options. Photo: Facebook.com/abigailwinebar
Conscious Kitchen 2912 Short Vine St., Corryville Located on Short Vine near the University of Cincinnati campus, this health-conscious eatery offers a chef-crafted menu of items like salmon, turkey or veggie burgers; veggie or “aquatic” egg rolls; hearty salads; and more. Photo via Facebook.com/ConsciousKitchen513
Elephant Walk Injera & Curry House 170 W. McMillan St., Clifton Clifton’s Elephant Walk Injera & Curry House does double duty as both an Indian and Ethiopian restaurant. The two-sided menu features cuisine from both countries, which have somewhat similar flavor profiles. If you’ve never eaten Ethiopian food, it’s kind of like Indian — both offer stew-style dishes consisting of ingredients like chicken, lentils, cabbage and lamb, but Ethiopian dishes also rely heavily on beef, which you won’t see in Indian cuisine. Both also have their own special breads with which to scoop your food, but instead of naan, Ethiopian food is served with injera, a sourdough flatbread with a spongy texture and slightly tart taste that you will either love or really, really hate. The multiple vegetarian dishes — many of which are also vegan — are best enjoyed on a combo platter, served on a bed of injera with yellow lentils, seasoned collard greens, red lentils and cabbage. Photo: CityBeat Archive
Amma’s Kitchen 7633 Reading Road, Roselawn Amma’s serves only vegan and vegetarian Indian food, but you won’t miss the meat when the flavors are this complex and amazing. Features include familiar dishes like vegetable korma and chana masala, as well as unique items like the uthapams, a South Indian style pancake. Homemade breads include the puffy pillows of cooked dough called batura. This September, the lunch buffet reopened weekends only with staff serving each diner. Photo: Facebook.com/AmmasKitchen Photo: Facebook.com/AmmasKitchen
The Elusive Cow 519 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue This corner cafe brings quality and craft into their housemade burgers and sandwiches — striving to use only locally sourced, organic meat and greens. There’s plenty to choose from on their lengthy food and drink menus including a variety of shareable bites, like a hummus plate and caprese flatbread, plus popular tempeh sliders, a veggie burger, a veggie stir fry and plenty of local beer. There is also much for your omnivore friends to enjoy. Photo: Facebook.com/TheElusiveCow Photo: facebook.com/TheElusiveCow
Happy Chicks Bakery 4035 Hamilton Ave., Northside The café and bakery offers cakes, cookies, cupcakes, pies and more all with fresh, seasonal flavors, plus light lunch or brunch options, including waffles, sandwiches, salads and soups. All menu items are all freshly prepared from non-processed foods and are free from preservatives and animal products. Photo: Facebook.com/HappyChicksBakery
Phoenician Taverna 7944 Mason Montgomery Road, Mason Phoenician Taverna serves up superb, authentic Lebanese food in a Mason strip mall. Owned by Wassim Matar, the restaurant has established a glittering reputation in its half-dozen years of operation. The menu lists less than a dozen main dishes, but vegetarians can make a meal out of mezza here. Appetizers are listed in three sections: cold mezza vegetarian, hot mezza vegetarian and not vegetarian. The hot mezza vegetarian list offers mouth-watering items such as a cheese pie and a spinach pie (fatayer b’sbanigh in Lebanese), described as homemade dough filled with spinach, pine nuts and sumac onions in lemon and extra virgin olive oil. There’s also cauliflower with tahini, spicy hot potatoes, beet dip, spiced aged feta and pumpkin kibbeh on the unique list of hot and cold dishes. Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The Loving Hut 6227 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge The mission behind Loving Hut is to offer affordable, healthy, vegan cuisine. The restaurant’s environment was created using many found, reclaimed and reused materials. For disposable goods like containers, cups and utensils, they choose biodegradable and/or recyclable products. As far as the menu, there are tons of panini, wraps, sandwiches and burgers to choose from. Photo: Facebook.com/LovingHutCincinnati Photo: Loving Hut, Google Maps
Baladi Restaurant and Bakery 3307 Clifton Ave., Clifton This Syrian restaurant offers a broad menu: there’s hummus, falafel, kebabs and gyros, but branch out and try something you won’t find on other Middle Eastern-leaning menus, like Foul (fava beans, olive oil and lemon juice) or Fatayir (a “cheese boat” baked in handmade dough). Do yourself a favor and save room for a handmade dessert, like kunafa (filo dough, ricotta cheese and cream) or the mint lemonade. Photo: facebook.com/BaladiRestaurantandBakery
Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 525 Race St., Downtown Maplewood serves up dishes and ingredients that would be right at home on the West Coast: cold pressed juices, superfood salads, egg-white omelets and somewhat nutritious cocktails. Helmed by Thunderdome, Maplewood gets high marks for its veggie burger: a housemade black-bean patty topped with Havarti cheese, avocado, lemon-caper Dijonnaise and mixed greens on a Sixteen Bricks sesame bun. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Melt Revival 4100 Hamilton Ave., Northside Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diners aren’t an afterthought at Melt. But no worries — the carnivorous can feast, too. A plethora of sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads tempt every palate. Sandwiches include a veggie cheesesteak made with seitan, a vegan bánh mì with tofu and the Avocado Bliss, topped with white cheddar. For the vegetarian looking for the classic Cincinnati flavor, try out the Veggie 3-Way. Sunday brunch offers a tofu scramble and even vegan biscuits and gravy. Photo: Facebook.com/MeltRevival
Wodka Bar 1200 Main St., Over-the-Rhine According to Esquire magazine’s 2020 list of the Best Bars in America, Over-the-Rhine’s Wodka Bar is one of the top 27 drinking destinations in the U.S. The Eastern European-inspired cocktail lounge is a celebration of its namesake beverage, offering unique vodka infusions that feature dill pickle, coffee bean and peanut brittle. Those on the go can visit the takeout window to pick up borscht and pierogies, including a popular four-way pierogi made with vegetarian Cincinnati chili. Inside, rotating options always include a delicious and unique veggie dish. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Tickle Pickle 4176 Hamilton Ave., Northside; 915 N. Ft. Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas Northside’s Rock & Roll-inspired environmentally conscious burgers cater to both meat-eaters and non. Vegetarians can opt for a Buns N Roses (a housemade vegan black bean burger on a vegan bun topped with ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle) or a When Buns Cry (a mushroom cap topped with balsamic, spinach, tomato and caramelized onion on a pretzel bun). Or sub in a plant-based Impossible Burger on any meaty menu creation. They’re also known for their thick and creamy vegan milkshakes. Photo: Mary LeBus